FAU coach Carl Pelini lamented the 11 penalties that the Owls committed in their 35-17 loss at ULM Saturday, saying there is no excuse for the motion penalties but hinting the officials need to get used to FAU’s physical style the play in the defensive secondary.
FAU was called for several pass interference penalties.

“I don’t complain about the officials, but I do compare it to some of the experiences I had at Nebraska in the Big 12 and then the Big 10,” Pelini offered, unsolicited, on today’s Sun Belt coaches conference call.

“We play a very physical type of matchup zone. We get our bodies on receivers and it’s very important to how we play.

“I do think there was a process that occurred with that in the first year we were in the Big 12 and the first year we were in the Big 10 where there was a bit of give and take on my part and on the part of the officials so that they began to learn how we played. There was some communication back and forth on how they were going to call it, what they were going to look for and how we were coaching. We’re going to play that way and those pass interference penalties were very pivotal early in that game and gave them some scoring opportunities.”

As for another slow start (FAU trailed 21-0 midway through the second quarter), at first Pelini said he had no idea was the cause is but then he offered several reasons.

“(Lack of focus) and a little bit of execution,” he said. “Part of it is our staff being unfamiliar with the schemes and personnel we are faced with. I’ve never really been faced with this. We’re really pushing our guys to come out of the gates faster. With a team learning to win and probably not the most confident group there is probably a tendency to feel an opponent out.”